Hello from the panicky end of the 20th of December, in which I’m suddenly realising how little I’ve actually got ready for Christmas. I’m about to do a raid of the supermarket and start gifting people cutlery sets, I’m telling you. Everything’s fine. Everything’s cool. This can all be fixed by just going to the barn and hanging out with my horse, right?
Tuesday News & Notes from Around the World:
Don’t forget to enter our Ultimate LRK3DE Giveaway! You and three friends could win tickets, premium tailgating for cross country, a travel voucher valued at $750, and Dubarry gear for the trip. Entries are open until 12/31, so don’t delay! [Fly Away to LRK3DE]
The debate on conditions for grooms and working students continues on apace. This time, we’ve got an interesting insight from the employer’s perspective as dressage rider Lauren Sprieser pens an op-ed on what the hiring crisis looks like from her end and what degree of resilience is actually useful to build up as a young person. [It’s not a job for the weak]
Planning some Christmas Day treats for your horse? I’ve always been a fan of a hot mash and a snowy hack — and that hot mash is mixed with apple juice and studded with all sorts of snacks, including apples, carrots, parsnips, and, of course, festive peppermints. But for horses with certain health conditions, the innocuous mint could be a Christmas-ruiner. [Be treat-conscious]
My 96% Thoroughbred mare always drops off around this time of year. It’s a battle I fight every winter, particularly as she lives out: I up the forage, increase her hard feeds, and try a number of different conditioning supplements and balancers, all in the name of keeping some fat pads over her body. (FWIW, Keyflow Pink Mash and Bailey’s Outshine have been the best combo of ‘extras’ I’ve found so far). If you’re dealing with a similar problem, you’ll be glad of some advice. [Keep your pony nice and round this winter]
Researchers in Britain are developing a way to learn from footage of jockeys falling. The framework for analysing footage of falls will help them to ascertain how and why the fall happened in the first place, and the necessary steps to ensure safety in similar situations. This could be good news for eventing, which tends to pick up on many of racing’s safety developments a few years down the line. [How to make sport safer]
The OHP Dream Farm of the Week:
Once, a few years back, I was spending the week in Ocala, taking a busman’s holiday to stay with my great pal Hallie Coon, when she suggested we go fill an afternoon at Golden Ocala. Now, admittedly I’ve not spent a lot of time at country clubs, but I have such fond memories of the hours we spent soaking up the sun by the pool there, drinking Pina coladas and chatting about horses and life in that stunning, peaceful setting. So this absolutely 10/10 EXTRA chateau within the confines of the club is calling to me today as I watch the English rain melt all that English ice, let me tell you. I know there’s absolutely no way I’d be able to keep those white interiors that clean, but I would revel in the act of slowly mucking them up and then flinging myself into the pool. What a delight this spot is.
Watch This:
Check out 22-year-old Nadja Minder’s round from the Geneva indoor eventing class. This remarkable gal has been one of our favorite riders to follow this season, and there’s plenty more to come. Jump on board the fan club bandwagon now!
